Now That You're Back

Come Back to Me

By: Hilde

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or McDonald's, as much as I want too. But I DO own this fic. Nothing else, though.

Ding-Dong! The doorbell rang.

"Oh, hi, Jeffy!" Hilde greeted the man standing in here doorway with a sweet smile.

"Hey, Hilde-Babe. I was wondering, are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

"No. You wanted to come over again, right?"

"Actually, I wanted to know if you wanted to go to Mickey D's with me?"

"Oh, how romantic! Fast food!" Hilde responded sarcastically.

"K, see you then, Baby-cakes."

"Don't you want to come in? I'm just starting lunch. And don't call me 'Baby-cakes'."

~Later that day, yet somewhere else~

"Oh, yes, PLEASE come in," begged a husky feminine voice.

"Hehehe," Duo laughed, tackling his girlfriend playfully, pinning her to his bed.

The blond now beneath him suddenly froze.

"Now, now, don't be afraid," Duo whispered, his lips inches away from her ear, and neck.

"Ohh, Duo," Cilia moaned, urging him to come even closer. "Let's get these out of the way, too."

"You're daring," Duo managed to say, as Cilia reached for his jeans.

As Duo leaned down to kiss his girlfriend, he thought he saw someone else. Snap! It occurred to him. "I can't do this," he said, pulling himself away from Cilia, who was still struggling with his jeans.

"What is it, Dyuo?" Cilia asked sweetly.

Duo jumped off his "girlfriend", and pulled his jeans back up, and grabbed his shirt.

"Get out of here! NOW!" he suddenly yelled.

"What the hell?! Duo, I want you to fuck me! DAMN YOU!"

"GET OUT OF HERE, AND DON'T COME BACK, IT'S OVER. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!!!!"

Cilia grabbed her jacket, and made her way to the door. "HELL WITH YOU!!!" she screamed, slamming the door behind her.

Duo watched her stamp to her car. She turned around to glare at him, then got in her car, slamming the door. He watched as she speed away. Duo knew he would probably never see her again.

Duo put his shirt back on, and pulled the chair out at the computer desk. Maybe doing some work would get hid mind off what just happened, and not able Cilia. Oddly enough, he didn't give a damn about her anymore.

The computer loaded its programs, and Duo clicked an icon. Almost immediately there was a spreadsheet in front of him. "Hilde's weeks ahead on this thing!" the thought. "Hilde…" he paused, reflecting on the past three years. It was now AC 204, the last time they'd seen each other was at that party at Quatre's, serving as a reunion, and a new year's party for AC 200. "Hilde, your friend, Duo. Your business partner."

Duo recalled how she helped him after the wars. It was really busy after all those MS had been destroyed, along with building, and whatever else could be destroyed; they had plenty of junk to sell. What helped even more was the fact that all the places that had been destroyed, or at least somehow destructed by the wars needed things to rebuild themselves, and Duo and Hilde happened to have those things. Hilde usually did the books, and kept track of listing pieces for sale, but she found time to help him go "hunting", as they liked to call it. But when things died down, they went their own ways. Hilde bought a house somewhere in one of L2's major cities, despite him telling her that it would be dangerous for a girl like her. Duo bought a nice place out in the country. The business sure had helped them out. And now, there wasn't really anymore need, at least business wise, to see each other. Everything was done via computer and the occasional e-mail. Okay, so they occasionally called each other on the vid, but that was it.

"I haven't seen her in such a long time. Maybe I should," he stopped, to check through their listings, which had been taking its good old time loading. Maybe they weren't actually friends anymore.

Duo skimmed the stats, and then quickly shut down the computer. He gathered a few things from his room, and stuffed them in a small, black knapsack, and grabbed a torn piece of paper off his nightstand. He checked to make sure he had his wallet, and keys, and left the house, locking the door behind him.

~The next evening~

"Hey, Jeff!" Hilde chimed.

"Hey, let's sit over here. We won't be bothered," he said smoothly, leading them over to a table for two in the corner of McDonald's. "It's been really rainy, and so suddenly. Good thing it missed you," commented Jeff, looking out the window.

Hilde wondered why he was acting so, different. Was he hiding something? Were they through? "Why Mickey D's?" she finally decided to ask, as they sat down.

"There wouldn't be all that mush, like at those high-classy places. Uh, Hilde?" Jeff started nervously, looking into her eyes. "We've been together a long time,"

"Here it comes," Hilde thought. "It's over. Maybe…"

Suddenly there was a loud sound, a motorcycle, pulled up, and soon parked. A figure dressed in a black coat, yet still drenched walked in, and over to the counter, and began asking the cashier something.

Hilde's eyes moved back to Jeff, who was still droning on about being together, and all they've gone through. Hilde was only half paying attention. Somehow she was attracted to the guy in black.

After the man had apparently found out what he needed to, he took his coat off, revealing a very long, very wet braid. Was it Duo? There were a bunch of weird guys in the city with long hair, not that Duo was weird…

Then two things happened at once.

Jeff pulled small deep violet box out of his pocket, and offered it to Hilde, "Hilde, will you marry me?"

The man in black turned around, and asked at the same time, "Hilde?"

Hilde was stunned. Jeff wanted to marry her, and Duo had just come back?! "I don't know Jeff, I mean, I need some time to…" she quickly trailed off, Duo was approaching them. Or rather her, because she had gotten up to see if it was actually him.

"Duo!" she quietly shouted, throwing her arms around her old friend.

"Hilde!" Duo said, returning her friendly hug.

Jeff turned around to see what the commotion was about. His mouth dropped open at the site of his girlfriend, hugging a complete stranger, and the guy was hugging back.

"How touching," he said, getting up.

Hilde pulled away from Duo, and stood next to him. "This is Duo, Jeff. He's an old friend I haven't seen in years," she said with too much cheer for Jeff. "Duo, this is Jeff." Hilde didn't want to introduce Jeff to Duo as her boyfriend.

"Well," Jeff began, "Aren't you going to tell him I'm your boyfriend?" Jeff demanded, emphasizing the "I'm" and "boyfriend".

Hilde glanced at Duo. He didn't seem hurt. He looked almost like he had expected her to have a boyfriend. "But then he is really good at hiding his emotions," Hilde thought.

"Come on, Hilde. Let's leave," Jeff said, moving to the door, expecting Hilde to follow. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go."

"I'll call you later. Duo and I have some catching up to do," Hilde said, taking Duo by surprise by looking into eyes. He knew she could tell what he was thinking. She always could, just by looking into his eyes.

Jeff looked furious, though he tried to hide it. "Just don't get to friendly with the trash," he said, looking at Duo. He heard the two talking as he walked to his car. When he pulled out, he noticed they had moved to another table, still talking. "Feh," he breathed, as he put his car in gear, and sped away, sounding like he was in the wrong gear.

"Hey, it stopped raining," Hilde suddenly said, looking out the extra-wide, hand-printed window.

"Yeah," Duo said. "I also noticed it was raining earlier," Duo laughed.

"You're proof of it," Hilde said, looking at his still-wet clothes. "Why don't you come to my place? You'll catch something if you wear those wet things."

"This is Hilde," Duo thought. "Always fussing over me." "Sure," he agreed. "But I'll be dry by the time I get there," Duo smiled, indicating the Harley parked outside was his.

"Whoa, Duo!"

"Wanna ride?"

"Uh, I like walking. Besides, it's good for you," Hilde said, thinking about them crashing into something.

"Whatever. Hey, since I'm goin' to beat you home, can I have the keys?" Duo said turning back to Hilde.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Hilde responded, turning back to face Duo. She dug around in her small backpack purse, finally finding the keys. "Here you go," she said, dropping the keys in Duo's open hand.

"Thanks. I'll see you in a few minutes," he said, walking out the door, Hilde behind him.

Hilde went on ahead, while Duo got his motorcycle. He would beat her there by hours! Soon, Duo came riding up behind her, then whooshed past, taking care to rev the engine as her passed Hilde, making it sound like a catcall. Hilde smiled as she watched him zoom up the street then swerve around a corner, and out of sight, though definitely not earshot.

When Hilde got home, she found Duo draped over the couch, eating some chips and watching TV.

"Make yourself at home," she kidded.

"Too late, I already am," he joked back.

"What'd you do with the Harley?

"In your parking space. Since you walk, I assume you don't need a car, and thusly do not have one, therefore, you would have no need of your parking space," Duo answered in a smart-alec tone.

Hilde shook her head. "So why did you come?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Can't a guy visit his old friend without authorization?"

"Come on. You've had a girlfriend, haven't you?"

Duo stopped sipping his soda, and turned around again. She knew him too well. "So? You have a boyfriend. Besides, I broke up with Cilia, about, yesterday."

Hilde raised an eyebrow. "So, how has it been going?" she asked, taking a seat next to Duo. She noticed he was a bit nervous around her.

"Well, things have been going okay," Duo started, which they were, except for being with Cilia. Duo knew that Hilde was someone he could open up to, but for some reason that evening just didn't feel to comfortable. Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other in so long, or because he was afraid he'd spill his feelings for her. "But what are you afraid of?" he asked himself. He never answered, because he got lost in their conversation of all the time they'd missed being together for.

Hilde looked at the clock. "Oh my god! It's almost midnight! You want to stay here for the night?"

"Sure," Duo smiled.

"Okay,…" Hilde started as Duo got up to get some sheets so he could sleep on the sofa.

"Duo, I have a spare bedroom. You can stay there."

"Great!" Duo said. "I wouldn't fit on the couch anyway."

"Are you tired?"

"Not really. But if you want to go to sleep, I won't keep you up."

"In that case," Hilde began.

Duo smiled.

"Let's watch a movie!" Hilde suggested.

Duo looked a bit disappointed, but quickly recovered.

The phone rang. It rang again. Again.

Hilde ran out of the room to get it.

"Oh hi, Jeff," she answered flatly.

"Hey, Honey. So what's your answer Babe?" he purred.